


Follow You

by maryling



Category: Mana Khemia: Alchemists of Al-Revis
Genre: M/M, New Game Plus Challenge, Post-Canon, Pre-Slash, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-03-15
Updated: 2010-03-15
Packaged: 2017-10-08 12:33:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/75700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maryling/pseuds/maryling
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Roxis can't quite say what he means, and Vayne is dense.  Set just after the Final Battle, so spoilers for story and for Roxis' character quests.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Follow You

It was mid-morning when they finally stumbled out of Heart's Prison. They'd been gone overnight - or was it two nights? No one would give them a straight answer. The Vice Principal and Nurse Melanie had fussed over them, made sure they were safe and in one, or rather eight pieces. Classes were cancelled for the rest of the week and all students ordered back to their dorms.

Roxis was the one who calmly informed the Principal that their group would be staying in their workshop for the afternoon and consequences be damned. They needed time together to deal with what had happened. Tuck acquiesced, though no one really expected otherwise. Really, the man had the backbone of a puni.

The loft wasn't built to hold eight people, but six people, a ghost, and a flying...whatever could fit if they were all good friends. Which, Vayne reflected, they now were. Or maybe they had been before today and he just never realized it. After all, he hadn't thought the others would be so upset and even angry about his disappearance.

The only sound in the room was the low murmur of a conversation between Flay and Muppy, Flay's muted voice serving to accentuate the strange atmosphere in the workshop. Something had changed. Even Vayne could tell that much, and he didn't think it was just due to the loss of his power. There was a difference in the way the others looked at him, but it was more than them trying to reconcile the Vayne they'd known with the Mana in the dungeon. Heart's Prison had had an effect on them, both individually and as a group.

They'd learned that alchemy wasn't just assignments and research, contained in a sterile laboratory. It could be dangerous and terrifying, alternately supremely powerful and utterly useless. This was the one lesson the school couldn't teach them, that could only be experienced outside of the (relatively) safe bounds of the academy. It was also one of the hardest lessons.

And so they sat together in their workshop, taking comfort in each other's presence. Nikki and Jess had crammed themselves onto the couch on either side of Vayne, while Roxis sat on the floor in front of them, leaning back against the wall. Flay had carried up a stool for Anna and had settled himself at the top of the ladder in a guard position, Muppy floating in front of him and Pamela playing quietly next to him.

The spell broke late that afternoon as Anna began to doze and nearly fell off her stool. Jess and Nikki both jumped up to grab her, and decided that the three of them should head back to their dorm to get some sleep. Flay agreed, announcing that since Injustice never slept, he'd better rest while he could. Muppy sailed off with an odd glint in his eye, mumbling something about plans and weak defenses.

After a few more moments, Sulpher jumped off of the windowsill he'd been napping on, and onto the couch next to Vayne. "Mrow." He nudged Vayne's arm with his head. "Mrrr."

The noise seemed to knock Roxis out of his reverie. "What's he saying?"

Vayne's brow furrowed. "I...I don't know. He's just meowing. Are you trying to talk to me?"

Sulpher gazed at Vayne, then slowly, distinctly, shook his head. He let out a long, low cry.

"I think...I think I'm not gonna be able to understand him anymore." Vayne scratched the top of the cat's head between his ears. "Sorry about that, Sulpher. You can't order me around anymore." In response, Sulpher yowled and batted Vayne's hand away. "Ha ha, I guess you can still get your point across."

"Pamela," Roxis said abruptly. "Don't you think your friends at the library miss you? You've been away for a while now."

Pamela dropped her teddy bear. "Oh my, you're right! They must be so worried about me. And I have to make sure no one's been bullying that one little puni. Good night everyone!"

As she sailed out through the wall, Sulpher turned to face Roxis, tail twitching. "Mrrrow."

"I know it was mean," Roxis countered defensively, moving from his seat on the floor to take possession of Anna's stool. "But I wanted to talk to Vayne. Alone."

Tail still lashing angrily, Sulpher circled once and settled himself next to Vayne. "I think this is about as alone as we're gonna get," Vayne remarked.

Roxis took a deep breath. "I want to apologize for what I said today. I was only trying to make you angry and snap you out of the mood you were in."

"Oh. Um, thanks." Vayne rubbed the back of his neck. "I kinda-"

"I don't hate you." Roxis' eyes were unreadable behind the light of the setting sun glinting off his glasses.

Vayne blinked. "Well, yeah. I thought-"

"I'd be mad at you if you disappeared, but I really don't hate you," Roxis continued. He pulled a cloth from his pocket and started wiping his glasses, dropping his head to avoid meeting Vayne's eyes.

"Roxis..." Vayne automatically looked down at Sulpher to see if his companion could figure out what Roxis was trying to say, then frowned as he remembered that even if Sulpher knew, he probably couldn't explain it with only meows and flicks of his ears.

Roxis folded the cloth and put it away carefully, then slid his glasses back on. "I'd be upset if something were to happen to you, and not just because I wouldn't have had the chance to defeat you."

"Oh. Ok." This was a strange conversation, Vayne thought.

"And even when I finally win a duel, I'll keep following you," Roxis added, his usual smugness returning.

Finally, something Vayne could understand. "Ha, like that'll happen!"

"Hmph," Roxis snorted. "Now that you don't have a Mana, it should be quite easy for me."

"I don't need a Mana, I can beat you with one hand tied behind my back," Vayne teased, missing the small catch in Roxis' breathing.

"Well, we'll see about that. So you'd better not disappear before we can find out," Roxis said, serious once more. "Please."

Vayne nodded. "Ok, Roxis. I promise, if I want to disappear again, I'll talk to you first so you can tell me you hate me. Even though you don't."

Roxis' mouth lifted into a half-smile. "Very good." He stood, stretching. "You know, I've now lost two days of studying thanks to you. If I don't graduate, I might get angry with you."

"You've got straight A's," Vayne pointed out. "You could burn down the Principal's office and still graduate."

"Hmph. In any case, I have reading to do," Roxis said, bending down to pick up his bag. "I'll see you in the morning?"

Vayne smiled. "Yeah. I'll be here."


End file.
